In the 'new times' dramatic changes in the social, cultural, political, and economical spheres have brought fragmentation and growing pluralism of societies, and emergence of new identities, which render normative and stable meanings and discourses problematic. In the era of post-modernity and 'beyond', people have become mystified by the insurgency, disintegration, and liquidity of an age that is fraught with growing demands of ever-changing needs, obligations, and new versions of social and political conflicts around the globe. Since their conditions, knowledge and perceptions of identity flow across national and transnational boundaries, it is believed that the people of diaspora have developed a sort of diasporic ontological and epistemological existence that enables them to surpass 'all-home-returning projects' and pleas for pure identity. They negotiate the complexities of difference in the new cultural spaces which open up between familiar and foreign meanings, relations, and identities. With this assumption, they disrupt monolithic realities and recognise more complex and diverse alternatives away from 'cultural knowledge', essentialism, homogeneity, and stereotypes about the 'self' and the 'other'. As one of the journals specialised in postcolonial (studies, cultures, and societies), we would like our Special Issue to further explore the concept of diaspora as an emergent and contested theoretical space, and its potentials for the advancement of critical thought. This special issue is focused on the wide-ranging conceptualisations of the concept: it aims to explore various approaches, interdisciplinary theorisations, disciplinary modalities, configurations, and methodologies of the humanities, social and other sciences related to diaspora. Topics can include, but are not limited to At a theoretical level: - Further theorisation of the notion of diaspora - The historical trajectory of diaspora (e.g. From people who were lost in history to people leading assort of "hyphenated or hybrid life" - The emergence of new diaspora (e.g. Palestinian Diaspora) - The Irony of Jewish and Palestinian Diaspora as both emerged from the same geographical region - The ontological and epistemological nature of diaspora: (ontology) the nature of diasporic reality, and (epistemology) the ways of knowing that reality, and(axiology) the disputational contours of the right and wrong or morality and values of this reality - The cultures and literatures of diaspora: o the triangulation of diaspora, migration, and post-coloniality, o the creation of new ways of thinking about individual and communal identities o the criticisms of established schools of critical thought, o and the rethinking the relationship between literature, cultures, history and politics At a practical level: - The impact of technology and communications on the life of diaspora and their relationship with their countries - The intellectual and scientific contributions of diaspora; this includes (cultural productions in the fields of education, tourism, art, sport, popular culture, and medicine - The directed investment of diaspora; how diaspora might become a real national recourse for their host and home countries - Review of initiatives that are emerging around the world regarding the welfare of diaspora - Writers & Texts of diaspora (choose a writer or a text and analyse the work alongside the theme)

Directions and deadlines for submissions Abstract & Paper submissions: To present a (research) paper, please submit an abstract of your paper by January 31st, 2013. Abstracts should be no longer than 200 words and include a brief explanation about: the topic under study, its scope and context, its significance, the methods used, its main findings, and its relationship to the theme: Critical Spaces of Diaspora for Liquid post-modernity. Full papers should be made in Microsoft Word (2007), and no longer than 7,000 words, including tables, references, and notes. Deadline for the full papers submission is July 31st, 2013.

For submissions, further information or queries regarding this Special Issue, please contact the Journal's Guest Editor: Ayman Abu-Shomar at aabushomar@ksu.edu.sa .